Monday, January 29, 2007

3.12 --- 20/20 Vision

Timid bank loan office clerk Warren Cribbons (Michael Moriarty, Q, Return to Salem's Lot), known to his colleagues as "the human calculator", is a fellow particularily good with digits and decimals. His boss, mr. Cutler (David Hemblen, Short Circuit 2, Brainscan), is satisfied with his work and promotes him to chief loan officer. On his way back to his office, Cribbons accidentally stumbles into an attractive bank clerk Sandy (Cynthia Belliveau, Family of Cops), who breaks his glasses during the collision.

After putting on his broken glasses, Cribbons discovers he gained the ability to see into future - a feat immediately tested by his premonition of another colleague accidentally dropping a banknote into a dustbin. Soon enough, Cutler orders Cribbons to start cracking down on some farmers late with their payments, and if neccessary, proceed with foreclosure. His first client is Vern Slater, a stubborn farmer reluctant to sell land. Cribbons is ready to pull the plug on him, but after putting on his glasses, he sees a ruined man in front of him, surely a vision of things if foreclosing became fact. He delays his decision and opts to visit their farm.

Once there, he tries convincing Vern to sell, only to have another premonition, this time of a ruined farmhouse. Realizing that it is he commanding the destiny of those people, Cribbons has a change of heart - especially when "foreseeing" the fact that Cutler is intentionally pushing for foreclosure as he has inside information of a new state highway passing through Slater's property. After consulting with Sandy, he immediately approves a personal loan to Slater from his own savings, and thus saves him and his family. He also experiences another vision - Sandy falling from a ladder and badly hurting herself.

This doesn't sit well with Cutler, who immediately fires him. Cribbons goes back to his office to pick up his stuff, and sees Sandy fixing a office sign while on a ladder. He rushes to her and catches her fall, just as she was on the verge of getting really hurt. The collision was not victimless though, as Warren's glasses are now broken for good. But, he disposes of them, saying he doesn't really need them anymore, and on that note, leaves the bank for good.

***

Another adventure from the Xerox Zone. Visibly short on ideas, the season 3 staff opted to do another uncredited remake, pilfering the classic A Penny for Your Thoughts episode, which originally aired 3rd of February, 1961. Penny for Your Thoughts featured also a bank clerk as the protagonist, with a "magical" coin replacing the glasses gimmick. The main difference between the two is that Warren Cribbons is a good-natured, conscious type, where Hector B. Poole from the original uses his "gift" for personal gains. Comic relief is also notably absent from the colour entry.

Moriarty, who I personally loved as the bumbling ex-con in Q, is excellently cast here, and he conveys the troubled loan officer persona effortlessly. Hemblen and former beauty queen Belliveau are decent support, but there's not much meat to this script or story to make it better than average.

Y'know, sometimes I read all the stats of people coming and reading the blog. It's a fair bunch, but hardly anyone leaves comments. So I sit there and stare into Statcounter, and think, what kind of folks are visiting, what got them here, and how long do they stay...aw man, if only they could leave a silly little comment sometimes !

And then you read this from a total stranger, and you feel like you are doing something right. Made my evening after coming back from work. Thanks, Monica.

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HonouredMatre said ... (2:30 PM) :

Even though it was only yesterday (17th Feb '07), I can't remember how I came to this site (I think it was something to do with Wikipedia), but I am so glad that I did; your blogs and reviews knock Wikipedia's entries into a cocked hat!

Please, please, please don't stop your marvellous retellings (I've read every single one), and for someone whose mother tongue is not English, you have a very good command of it.